International Workshop on Microarrays

Best wishes to Ms. Lucia for a happy journey and a useful stay at Charleston, WV, USA. Hope she will bring us new ideas on the application of Microarray technology in our research area after attending the "International Workshop on Microarrays", to be held at West Virginia State University, Institute, WV from 2nd to 5th April, 2008. Dr. Umesh Reddy is organizing this Workshop and our thanks to him for extending the invitation to us for participation.

Rumen Fluid

Hello Every Body!

We would like to tell you about a out campus visit we had, at a beef farm 30 miles from Athens.

We met Dr. Mark A. Froetschel a Senior professor at Dairy Science school, who needed to take some samples of rumen liquid and manure.

Here are some photos and videos.   

Nutrient Management

What is a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan?

A CNMP is a strategy for making wise use of plant nutrients to enhance farm profits while protecting water resources, looking at how nutrients are used and managed throughout the farm.

Nutrients inputs are brought to the farm through feeds, fertilizers, animal manures and other off-farm inputs, some of these are used, and some are recycled by plants and animals on the farm.

Nutrient outputs are the ones that leave the farm in harvested crops and animal products.

When nutrients outputs greatly exceed outputs from the farm, the risk of nutrient losses to ground water and surface water is greater.

When comparing nutrient inputs against nutrient outputs, you are creating a mass balance (important part of a CNMP). Ideally, nutrient inputs and outputs should be roughly the same.

Basic steps

1. Evaluation of nutrient needs.

2. Inventory of nutrient supply.

3. Determination of nutrient balance.

4. Mortality management.

5. Preventative maintenance and inspection.

6. Emergency response plan.

The Microbe blog

Hi all

I believe that a regular visit to this higly resourceful blog on microbiology will benefit anyone interested on microbes and their wonders. Other web sites on microbial world are linked and can be accessed from this blog. Let us appreciate the efforts of Moselio Schaechter, a retired microbiologist and American Society for Microbiology for supporting his efforts.

http://schaechter.asmblog.org/

Agricultural & Applied Economics

Well, we hope ya'll have a nice weekend!

We met on 27th of February, Dr Forrest E. Steglin and Dr. Jack E. Houston, Jr. From the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences.

They talked about other TIES Programs with Mexican participants, although they are not related with engineering, but with education; These Drs. are some of our TIES Program Partners, giving us a view of how to apply economics in our reaserch.

Engineering kind of view:

"I Can Do That!"

Economist kind of view:

"Yes, You Can Do It, but How Much Is Going To Cost?"

One thing that they told us, to get started is:

Flow Charts

There the Economist can apply economics easily. So one advice is to keep our work organized from the beginning.

Another good thing about knowing the economic analysis is:

"Knowing the economics, then you will know where to spend in new research".

Take care ya'll !!

Hi Bioremediation mates

Hi Bioremediation Friends !!
How are u all doing? I hope that with a lot of work :)
Here we have a lot of things to do too, we are trying to get the GC started, we have already ordered the Porapak Q column for the mesurement of Methane, CO2, Nitrogen and other gases that can be found in the biogas. We are testing the HayeSep C column that can be used for the CO2 measurement only to find out whether GC is working well. I hope that tomorrow we can get that done. I'm waiting for some strains for the biological pretreatment of the poultry litter, to remove the Nitrogen that acumulates on a dry condition (total solids from 10% to 30%).
Well that was just a little bit of what im doing right now. Let us know what are you all doing too...and if there's anything that we could help you...just let us know!!

Lets keep on going, this is only the beginning!!
Greetings
Hugs and Kisses
Natalia

hi people!

here is a link where u can find the welcome to our partners in georgia.

TIES GRANT INTERNS ARRIVE AT UGA
February 2008
Two students from Mexico have arrived to complete a five month internship that will incorporate lab experience in anaerobic digestion, field visits, and an outreach component.
Natalia Argentina Montenegro Garcia and Ulises Cesar Triana Dominguez are both from Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila in Torreon, and are visiting UGA as part of a grant from the USAID Training, Internships, Exchanges and Scholarships Initiative.

http://www.biorefinery.uga.edu/outreach.html#4

Athens, GA

Hi! every one !

I wish yall are doing Ok!

Im writing you to let yall know, whats going on here in Driftmier Engineering Center in UGA Athens.

Well first im going o tell you about the city, Athens is a very small city, and most of the people live because of the UGA. Its a very forest place, and has a few places to go shopping (which i haven seen them). Downtown is just a few blocks away, you can find most Bars and Restaurants, and it is the must beautiful place in town. It starts at the North end of the Campus, where is a entrance to it by an Arch, the one that you always see in representative pictures from Athens and UGA.

Here you always will see college students!, so that, we are in the right place according to our age. So far we have met a few students here in UGA, all though LACSI (Latin American & Caribbean Studies Institute).

About Driftmier Engg Center, it is one of the last Engg Centers in UGA, all the other have been moved to Atlanta, to Georgia Tech. Its a relative small building at the South of Campus near to Veterinary School and Plant Science.

To get here we have to take the 12 Route Bus coming right from our apartments, University Apartments in Riverbend pkwy.

In this Center you can find people working on Fermentation to produce value added products, more people work on Pyrolisis, and the most exciting for us, people work with algae to remediate water and extract oil form the biomass produced, we met Dr. Senthil, he has two students woking in that project Ryan Hunt and Andrew, both are very nice persons. The Algae poject is inside the Biorefining & Carbon Cycling Program, http://www.biorefinery.uga.edu/ and here is an perspective about the use of algae as a renewable source of energy, http://www.georgiatrend.com/features-environment/2007-01-energy-column.shtml

to be contiuned ...
P.S. We miss you all

Bon Voyage

Our best wishes to Natalia & Ulises for a happy & purposeful stay at University of Georgia, Athens, USA

Becas de postgrado en España ::: Graduate Scholarships in Spain

Recientemente se ha abierto una convocatoria por parte de Fundación Carolina, organización que se encarga de promover las relaciones culturales y lo que concierne a la educación y la investigación cientifica entre la madre patria y los paises de la comunidad Iberoamericana de Naciones entre los cuales está México. Asi pues la fundación ha lanzado una convocatoria para inscribirse como becario en cualquiera de los planes de postgrado. La inscripción es vía internet y en un principio no se necesita mandar ningún documento. Entre los planes de postgrado que están ahora disponibles destacan:Biotecnología, ciencias biomédicas, salud, genética, Tecnología de los alimentos, Medio ambiente, conservación de la tierra, ecología, biodiversidad y calidad del agua.
En seguida el vinculo a la página web de la fundación http://www.fundacioncarolina.es/FundacionCarolina/


Recently an invitation has been opened by Carolina Foundation of Spain, which is promoting the cultural, education and research programs between Spain and Iberoamerican countries like Mexico. The foundation has called for applications for Graduate scholarships for any Masters program in Spain, in the areas of Biotechnology, Biomedical sciences, Health, Genetics, Food technology, Environment, Earth preservation, Ecology, Biodiversity and Water quality. The sign up is available on-line and no document is required immediately. Please check the following link for more details: http://www.fundacioncarolina.es/FundacionCarolina/